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(11)

EP 3 377 266 A1

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(43) Date of publication: 26.09.2018 Bulletin 2018/39 (21) Application number: 16805252.0 (22) Date of filing: 16.11.2016

(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):  B23Q 5/32(2006.01) B23Q 5/40(2006.01) B23B 47/34(2006.01) (86) International application number: PCT/US2016/062178 (87) International publication number: WO 2017/087457 (26.05.2017 Gazette 2017/21)

(84) Designated Contracting States: AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR Designated Extension States: BA ME Designated Validation States: MA MD (30) Priority: 16.11.2015 US 201562255772 P 07.01.2016 US 201614990042 (71) Applicant: Apex Brands, Inc. Apex, NC 27539 (US)

(72) Inventors: WATFORD, Jeremy Dean Irmo, South Carolina 29063 (US) CAIN, William Carlos Irmo, South Carolina 29063 (US) STEWART, John Lexington, South Carolina 29072 (US) MITCHELL, John Kirby West Columbia, South Carolina 29169 (US) BELLO, Jodi Ann Lexington, South Carolina 29071 (US) (74) Representative: Schröer, Gernot H.  Meissner Bolte Patentanwälte Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB Bankgasse 3 90402 Nürnberg 90402 Nürnberg (DE)